Newbie question about amounts of additives

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Remember that Castile soap was originally made in the Castile region of Spain using olive oil saponified with lye made from the ashes of "barilla", a name for salt-tolerant vegetation that grew along the Spanish sea coast.

That means the original Castile soap was indeed a 100% olive oil soap, but not necessarily one made with a 100% sodium alkali. The lye would have been a mixture of potassium and sodium alkalis, not a pure sodium alkali (aka sodium hydroxide).

The modern consumer and legal definition of a castile-type soap is a soap made from 100% vegetable oils. The more precise soapmaker definition, based on the historical roots of the word, is that castile is a 100% olive oil soap.

As Zany's pointed comments show, however, you can't assume any particular soap maker will know about this more precise definition of castile -- or if they do know about it, will choose to use the word castile to mean a 100% olive oil soap.

So ... I try real hard to not use the word castile at all, because no one can agree on its meaning anymore. 100% olive oil soap leaves no room for misunderstandings and hard feelings.
 
these are my reciept PKO, Caustic soda,(lye) and soda ash, sodium sulphate, borax, sodium slicate,fragrance , colour are my additives it is a cold process. please what other thing should l add to make it be attractives to my customers. thanks
 
these are my reciept PKO, Caustic soda,(lye) and soda ash, sodium sulphate, borax, sodium slicate,fragrance , colour are my additives it is a cold process. please what other thing should l add to make it be attractives to my customers. thanks

Please start a new thread with your recipe in detail as well as any additives. We cannot help without more information and you'll get answers in a separate thread. Also let us know how long you've been making soap so we have an idea on your experience.
 
I'm currently rocking a 5 month old ZNSC in my shower - technically the Bastile made with 10% CO and 5 % Castor, along with the 85% OO (Pure) and real seawater as opposed to faux. Absolutely slime free and rock hard.
I have been using real seawater too, and I love it.
Kiwimoose, I wonder if OO in Au and NZ is more closely regulated than other places. I use certified organic extra virgin olive oil, produced locally and as well as being very reasonably priced, soaps up beautifully so long as its gelled, and given a 3+ month cure, theres no sliming.
 
I wonder if OO in Au and NZ is more closely regulated than other places.
If you mean more closely regulated than in the USA, definitely. We have the Olive Oil Center at UC Davis that has high standards for certifying olive oil produced in California which is where 98% of our olive oil is produced.

However, there is also the American Olive Oi Association which imports most of the OO on our grocer's shelves. The AOOA is monitored by FDA standards which are "voluntary" and fake or adulterated olive oil comes into the country undetected. Read more

Olive Oil has a Fraud Problem. Can the FDA fix it?

From what I've read, due to their high standards, AU olive oil is currently the most reliable in the world (as far as soaping is concerned) for that reason. However, because all olive oil is graded and certified according to taste, EVOO in the Mediterranean may taste better. Dunno. I guess you, Kiwi & I need to meet up in Italy where the largest OO refinery in the Mediterranean is located and do a side-by-side test. Kiwi, you and JoeyJ bring the Aussie goods. 😁

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I have been using real seawater too, and I love it.
Kiwimoose, I wonder if OO in Au and NZ is more closely regulated than other places. I use certified organic extra virgin olive oil, produced locally and as well as being very reasonably priced, soaps up beautifully so long as its gelled, and given a 3+ month cure, theres no sliming.
Yes I think we are lucky in Australia. I also think there is something in our soil or in the olives grown close to the coast that make them more salty? I also add sea salt as my research shows that is what they traditionally did when making castile.

Unfortunately, I’ve also had no success with zany’s “faux sea water”. Sorry Zany. I find soap is tricky and different methods and ingredients suit different climates, environments and skins!
Pomace oil is extracted using chemicals, some of which will remain in the oil, so if you are after a pure oil that might not be the one to use.
I use Australian EVOO and love it in soap. I find it very mild but that is my skin!
 
It's always fun to watch Castile battles. Thanks for more entertainment, folks!

My contribution is to show no shame for using light tasting (and light colored) olive oil. It's been my go-to soaper for years, and I've never had problems traceable to it.

My current supply is labeled as a blend of refined and extra virgin oils from two different Mediterranean countries. I like that it is yellow, which I can color more predictably than green oil. Equally important, it is economical for me, without shipping costs or having to buy too much bulk. I get it and a smaller bottle of EVOO (for cooking) from Costco.
 
... it is economical for me, without shipping costs or having to buy too much bulk. I get it and a smaller bottle of EVOO (for cooking) from Costco.
:thumbup: :thumbup:
Kirkland brand EVOO and "Pure" OO from Costco is good stuff! It's one of few "off the grocers' shelf OOs approved for soap making by the COOC (California Olive Oil Council, UC Davis). In a quick Google search, it is also highly rated by independent reviewers for taste.

I use Kirkland Pure OO when I run out of Pomace from Soapers Choice.
 
My current supply is labeled as a blend of refined and extra virgin oils from two different Mediterranean countries. I like that it is yellow, which I can color more predictably than green oil. Equally important, it is economical for me, without shipping costs or having to buy too much bulk. I get it and a smaller bottle of EVOO (for cooking) from Costco.

Yep...I get both my OO for soaping and EVOO for cooking from Costco (2 miles away).
 
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